1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to gaskets used to establish a seal between two members clamped together, and more particularly to such gaskets having location features received between the members being clamped together.
2. Related Art
It is known to use gaskets between members being clamped together to facilitate forming a reliable seal between the members being clamped together. It is further known to incorporate locating features on the gasket to facilitate properly orienting the gasket between the members being clamped. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, a portion of a gasket assembly 1 constructed in accordance with the known art is illustrated. The gasket assembly 1 has a metal gasket layer, referred to hereafter as carrier 2 and a rubber locating feature 3 attached to the carrier 2. The carrier 2 has opposite, planar sealing surfaces 4, 5 with a through opening 6 extending straight through the carrier 2, thereby extending through the opposite sealing surfaces 4, 5. The rubber locating feature 3 is molded as a separate piece of material from the metal carrier 2 in the through opening 6. The locating feature 3 is molded having a bottom surface 7 configured coplanar with the bottom sealing surface 5 so as to inhibit affecting the ability to form a reliable seal when the gasket assembly 1 is compressed between the members being clamped together. Further, the locating feature 3 has an upstanding projection 8 extending upwardly from the upper sealing surface 4. The upstanding projection 8 is configured for receipt in an opening in one of the members being clamped (not shown). Accordingly, when the upstanding projection 8 is received in the opening of the member being clamped, the gasket 10 is theoretically assured of being in the proper orientation between the members being clamped, thereby providing added assurance that a reliable seal is being established between the members being clamped together by the gasket assembly 1.
Unfortunately, as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C, during assembly of the gasket assembly 1 between the members being clamped, a vertical force component FV (FIG. 1B) and/or a lateral force component FL (FIG. 1C) can deflect the locating feature 3 in an undesirable manner, thereby having a potentially negative affect on the ability to properly orient the gasket assembly 1 during assembly. Accordingly, if the gasket assembly 1 is improperly located (i.e. shifted relative to the members being clamped) during assembly, the integrity of the seal formed between the members may be compromised. As can be seen in FIG. 1B, the vertical force component FV can cause the locating feature 3 to become compressed axially such that the bottom surface 7 extends below the sealing surface 5 of the carrier 2, which in turn can impact the ability to form a reliable seal. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1C, the lateral force component FL can cause the locating feature 3 to become skewed laterally such that the upstanding portion 8 becomes misaligned relative to a central axis 9 of the through opening 6. Further, the lateral force component FL can cause at least a portion of the bottom surface 7 to extend below the sealing surface 5 of the carrier 2, both of which can adversely impact the ability to form a reliable seal.